In recent years, with the adoption of location-aware mobile devices, such as smart phones, by the general public, a number of software applications (or “apps”) have been created to improve the experience of ordering and requesting taxis. Examples of these apps include: Hailo—http://hailocab.com; myTaxi—http://www.mytaxi.net/; and Taxi Magic—http://taximagic.com.
Through the use of such apps on a location-aware mobile device, e.g. one having GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) signal reception and processing functionality, a user can easily request a taxi to their current location, even if they themselves are not aware of their surroundings.
For example, with the Hailo app, a user is shown a map on their mobile device, centred on their current location, indicating the real-time location of the closest available taxis to their location and an estimate of the time that it will take each taxi to reach the location. This information is downloaded from a server system that receives periodic updates from location-aware devices in each of the taxis. The user can select a taxi by touching an icon representative of the taxi on a touchscreen of their device, and an order request is then sent to the selected taxi via the server. If the driver accepts the order request, a confirmation message is sent to the user. The user is also provided with a profile picture of the driver, a user rating associated with the driver, details of the selected taxi and a real-time countdown of when the taxi should arrive at the pick-up location; this is an estimate as it doesn't take account of traffic, roadworks and other such events that may cause a delay to the taxi. The user can also see the current position of the selected taxi on a map as it approaches the pick-up location. A notification is sent to the user, again via the server, that the taxi has arrived at the pick-up location. Once the journey has been completed, the user can pay for the trip using a credit card or similar form of non-cash payment; assuming that the details of the card have been previously associated with their account on the server. The user then receives a message from the server confirming the details of the journey and a receipt for the amount paid. The user can also take the opportunity to rate their driver following completion of the journey.
Despite the improvements that have been made in relation to requesting taxis through the use of location-aware devices, the Applicant believes that there remains scope for further improvement to methods and systems for managing vehicle requests. In particular, the Applicant has realised that there remains scope for further improvement to such methods and systems in relation to the manner in which vehicle requests are matched to vehicles, e.g. taxis.